Roseland, Don

Donald Dean Roseland was born January 27, 1920 in Kanabec County, Minnesota to Abraham and Stella (Olson) Roseland. The family moved to Fargo, N.D. where Don graduated from high school in 1938. He received his musical education at the Concordia College Conservatory of Music, in Moorhead, Minn. He began his musical career at the age of fifteen when he and a partner were winners of the network radio show "The Major Bows Amateur Hour." He also worked at Fargo's WDAY Radio as a piano player. He played with various bands and groups throughout the United States before moving to Hollywood. There his music career included hotel and nightclub engagements, recordings, motion pictures, television and song writing. Don became known for his nightclub act called "The Three Dons and Ginny" and they produced a number or recordings. Don was a composer and pianist, also appearing in a number of Hollywood movies as a piano player, including the movies A Foreign Affair, The Big Sleep, Here comes the Waves, and My Reputation among others. In 1959 he returned to Fargo and began appearing on WDAY-TV where he was the pianist on WDAY's local television program, Party Line. He married Verna S. Newell on May 5, 1962 in Clay County, Minn. and were later divorced. He returned to California where he married Karen Y. Vonottenfel on July 3, 1970 in Los Angeles and were later divorced. On July 2, 1978 he married Fargo native Audrey Nellermoe in San Diego. Don died September 20, 1989 in Palm Desert, California. He was survived by his wife Audrey and daughter RoJean